PixlBit

The PixlBit Staff sounds off before this year's big show kicks off.

Nick's Predictions

Nintendo

This is a pivotal year for Nintendo. With the 3DS having gained traction and the Wii U launching in the holiday season, it’s absolutely necessary that Nintendo impresses at E3. Understandably, the Wii U is a tough sell for the core gamer. They already have fairly powerful systems with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as the games that they want to play releasing on a consistent basis. In order for Nintendo to find acceptance with this crowd, they need to show something that they can’t live without.

This is where Retro Studios comes into play. This crew has been working on something big for the Wii U since they wrapped production on Donkey Kong Country Returns. I’m guessing it’s some type of shooter with the depth we’ve come to expect from them. I doubt it’s a Metroid title, but rather a new IP that Nintendo hopes to draw the core gamer in with.

Coinciding with this core game shift, we’ll likely see a reel that shows a ton of high profile third party mature games that are coming to the Wii U alongside their 360 and PS3 counterparts. Stuff like Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider are surely destined for Wii U with dedicated functionality, as is something notable from Square Enix.

We’ll surely see Pikmin 3, which will be stocked with brand new concepts and ideas and will launch alongside the system and Retro Studios’ new game. The majority of the launch window games will also be disclosed, which will include some other obvious choices like New Super Mario Bros. Mii and some sort of family friendly, system seller software, like Wii Sports.

Despite the Wii U acting as the centerpiece of the show, Nintendo will blow the lid off of a bunch of 3DS software that will keep gamers interested, again with a strong focus on third party titles and few Nintendo notables.

Microsoft

I think we’re going to see a fairly straightforward outing from Microsoft this time around… until the very end. They might not show anything in particular, but I’m fully expecting them to drop the bomb on some information about whatever their next system is going to be. It might just be a name, a codename or a launch window, but they’ll give gamers something to anticipate, despite their insistence that nothing will be shown.

Leading up to that we’re likely in for a presentation that closely mirrors last year’s. Lots of Kinect stuff, specifically Fable: The Journey and other titles that either Microsoft Studios has in development or notable third parties. There’s also no doubt that the focus shifts to non-gaming related stuff on Xbox Live. As in the past, new services will be added to make Xbox Live the go-to box in your living room for streaming media and social interactivity.

Beyond that, we’ll see the obvious games like Halo 4 and the recently revealed Gears of War: Judgment (which was an obvious one to guess was in development anyway). I predict that we might even hear about something new and interesting coming out of Rare that’s not Kinect related.

Black Ops 2 will get some screen time as will other notable third party games. If Microsoft doesn’t reveal a new system, it’s likely going to be yet another by-the-books E3 showing for the company.

Sony

Nintendo and Microsoft were pretty easy targets. They each tend to be fairly predictable with what they bring to E3. While some of it may be surprising, they each have a certain pattern they’ve been following for the past few years that make it obvious. For me, Sony is a complete enigma this year.

This is due in part to the scattershot approach of the PlayStation brands these days. The Vita really needs to get its footing. The system had a great launch, but has been coasting along since then with few notable releases. The future doesn’t look much brighter at this point in time as the release list is basically empty. Sony has an opportunity to impress though because Nintendo’s focus is going to be on the Wii U rather than the 3DS. If they can trot out some notable games, it could help turn the tables in Sony’s direction.

For one, the PlayStation All Stars Brawler will be officially revealed for the Vita with some amount of cross-functionality with the home console title. Beyond that I’m expecting we see a bunch of PlayStation 3 titles also come to the Vita in order to provide some light competition with the Wii U.

On the PlayStation 3, I’m honestly not sure what to expect. We already know about the new Ratchet & Clank and the new Sly Cooper title, as well as Naughty Dog’s latest, The Last of Us and God of War: Ascension. So what’s that leave? A new Killzone could be on the horizon, but it’s not likely. I expect we’ll see more of The Last Guardian, but that’s nothing too big at this point. It’s looking like we’ll likely just see a bunch of footage from these established sequels.

Now, there’s still the standing question of a next gen system. Despite my prediction that Microsoft is going to reveal their hardware, I don’t think Sony will. If they don’t deliver the future of the Vita, it’s likely going to be a very dull conference.